"Three in four years is exceptional" beams Limerick hurling hero Graeme Mulcahy

GRAEME Mulcahy was an unused substitute when Limerick suffered a 24-point loss in a Croke Park All-Ireland SHC semi final to Tipperary in 2009.

Last Sunday Mulcahy made his 50th championship appearance for Limerick. This time the Kilmallock man introduced as a substitute to win a third Celtic Cross medal in four years.

And, did so with a team winning by 16-points to add to an 11-point victory in the final 12-months ago.

“We are just delighted. This is unbelievable and when I think back to maybe 2015, ‘16 or 2017 I didn’t think this was coming down the road. To have three in four years is exceptional and speaks so much for the group of men inside in that dressing room,” Mulcahy told LeaderSport outside the winning dressing room.

“We are still trying to come to terms with what we have achieved in the last few years. We were in there and trying to compare all this to maybe 2018 and last year - there was so much sublimation in 2018 and then last year once the dressing room was done it was move on but this year there is a bit more celebrations,” he explained.

Mulcahy is thirteen seasons in the senior set-up – no longer the fresh faced teenager of 2009 but one of three players who had their young children out on the Croke Park pitch for the celebrations.

“There is a bit of a baby boom,” he smiled.

“We had a new arrival, seven/eight weeks ago now, Róise ,and we are all absolutely thrilled and it was lovely to bring her on to the field after the match today. We are living in Cork city and her mother (Laura) is a Cork woman but she (Róise) had her Limerick jersey on today so it was a nice one for her first All-Ireland,” explained Mulcahy.

"​The likes of Barry, Nickie and myself have been hanging around the panel for the last 10-13 years and it comes with it,” he explained of the new arrivals; Hope (Barry Hennessy) and Dáithí (Nickie Quaid).

Mulcahy outlined how last Sunday’s opening half was close to perfect.

“We had done our home work and had worked hard for the last two weeks to try and prepare as best possible and everything that Paul and the coaches and analysts had been on about we implemented 90-95% in that first half and the half time scoreline really spoke to that,” he said.

Before half time an injury to Peter Casey meant a call-up for Mulcahy, who was making just his sixth substitute introduction in 50 championship appearances.

“I was probably building myself up for the last 15-20 minutes and when Peter went down I was sprung from the bench. Sometimes it is better that way because you are in there and weren’t thinking about it. I have been on the field for most of my career and actually find being in the stand so much more difficult because you can get caught up in the crowd and the excitement and the nerves, Once you take the field you are back where you feel you belong and it’s a lot easier,” he outlined.